Fuel residual handling system

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a rotatably mounted propeller and an internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode and adapted to be drivingly connected to said propeller, the engine including an engine block, a sump having an outlet and having an unobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path from the engine block into the sump, a controllable valve communicating with the outlet, a fluid conduit communicating with the controllable valve and with a preselected location within the engine block, and a control mechanism responsive to operation of the engine in the predetermined mode for opening the controllable valve when the engine is operating in the predetermined mode.

We claim: 
     
       1. A marine propulsion device comprising an internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode and adapted to be drivingly connected to a propeller, said engine including an engine block, a controllable valve, a fluid conduit communicating with said controllable valve and with a preselected location within said engine block, control means responsive to operation of said engine in said predetermined mode for opening said controllable valve when said engine is operating in said predetermined mode, and a sump having a single outlet solely communicating with said controllable valve and having an unobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path for fuel drains from said engine block ino said sump. 
     
     
       2. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said engine further includes a check valve communicating with said controllable valve and oriented to permit fluid flow from said outlet through said controllable valve. 
     
     
       3. A marine propulsion device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said predetermined mode comprises engine operation at a predetermined engine operating temperature such that said control means opens said valve when said engine substantially reaches said predetermined operating temperature. 
     
     
       4. A marine propulsion device comprising an internal combustion engine adapted to be drivingly connected to a propeller and operable in a predetermined mode comprising continuous engine operation in excess of a predetermined time period, said engine including an engine block, a sump having an outlet and having an unobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path from said engine block into said sump, a controllable valve communicating with said outlet, a fluid conduit communicating wih said controllable valve and with a preselected location within said engine block, and control means responsive to continuous engine operation in excess of said predetermined time period for opening said controllable valve. 
     
     
       5. A marine propulsion device comprising an internal combustion engine adapted to be drivingly connected to a propeller and including an engine block, a transmission operable to selectively connect said engine to the propeller, a sump having an outlet and having an unobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path from said engine block into said sump, a controllable valve communicating with said outlet, a fluid conduit communicating with said controllable valve and with a preselected location within said engine block, and control means for opening said controllable valve in response to engine operation in conjunction with operation of said transmission to drivingly connect said engine to the propeller. 
     
     
       6. A marine propulsion device comprising a lower unit including a rotatably mounted propeller and an internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode and adapted to be drivingly connected to said propeller, said engine comprising an engine block including first and second cylinders, first and second sumps respectively having first and second outlets and respectively having first and second unobstructed inlets communicating respectively with said engine block to provide first and second free gravity flow paths from said engine block into said sumps, first and second controllable valves respectively communicating with said first and second outlets, first and second fluid conduits respectively communicating with said first and second controllable valves and with first and second preselected locations within said engine block, said first and second predetermined locations for said first and second cylinders respectively comprising another cylinder, and first and second control means responsive to operation of said engine in said predetermined mode for respectively opening said controllable valves when said engine is operating in said predetermined mode. 
     
     
       7. An internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode, said engine comprising an engine block, a controllable valve, a fluid conduit communicating with said controllable valve and with a preselected location within said engine block, control means responsive to operation of said engine in said predetermined mode for opening said controllable valve when said engine is operating in said predetermined mode, a sump having an unobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path for fuel drains from said engine block into said sump, and having a single outlet communicating solely with said controllable valve. 
     
     
       8. An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 7 wherein said engine further includes a check valve communicating with said controllable valve and oriented to permit fluid flow from said outlet through said controllable valve. 
     
     
       9. An internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 7 wherein said predetermined mode comprises engine operation at a predetermined engine operating temperature such that said control means opens said valve when said engine substantially reaches said predetermined operating temperature. 
     
     
       10. An internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode comprising continuous engine operation in excess of a predetermined time period, said engine comprising an engine block, a sump having an outlet and having an unobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path from said engine block into said sump, a controllable valve communicating with said outlet, a fluid conduit communicating with said controllable valve and with a preselected location within said engine block, and control means for opening said valve when said engine has been in continuous operation in excess of said predetermined time period. 
     
     
       11. An internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode comprising an engine adapted to be drivingly connected to a propeller and including an engine block, a transmission operable to selectively connect said engine to the propeller, a sump having an outlet and having anunobstructed inlet communicating with said engine block to provide a free gravity flow path from said engine block into said sump, a controllable valve communicating with said outlet, a fluid conduit communicating with said controllable valve and with a preselected location within said engine block, and control means for opening said controllable valve in response to engine operation in conjunction with operation of said transmission to drivingly connect said engine to the propeller. 
     
     
       12. An internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode, said engine comprising an engine block, first and second sumps having first and second outlets and first and second unobstructed inlets communicating respectively with said engine block to provide first and second free gravity flow path from said engine block into said first and second sumps, first and second controllable valves respectively communicating with said first and second outlets, first and second fluid conduits communicating respectively with said first and second controllable valves and with first and second preselected locations within said engine block, and first and second control means responsive to operation of said engine in said predetermined mode for respectively opening said first and second controllable valve when said engine is operating in said predetermined mode, said first and second predetermined locations for said first and second cylinders comprises another cylinder. 
     
     
       13. A two-cycle internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode, said engine comprising an engine block having a substantially horizontal cylinder, a transfer passage formed within said engine block substantially below said horizontal cylinder and communicating with said horizontal cylinder and having a region of maximum vertical displacement from said cylinder forming a low point in said transfer passage, a sump located below said transfer passage and having only a single outlet and having an unobstructed inlet above said outlet and communicating with said transfer passage substantially at said low point to provide a free gravity flow path for fuel drains from said transfer passage into said sump, a controllable valve coupled to said outlet for exclusively controlling fluid flow from said sump, a fluid conduit coupled between said controllable valve and a preselected location within said engine block for communicating fluid from said valve to said preselected location, and control means responsive to engine operation in said predetermined mode for opening said valve when said engine is operating in said predetermined mode. 
     
     
       14. A two-cycle internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 13 wherein said engine further includes a check valve communicating with said controllable valve and oriented to permit fluid flow from said outlet through said controllable valve. 
     
     
       15. A two-cycle internal combustion engine in accordance with claim 13 wherein said predetermined mode comprises engine operation at a predetermined engine operating temperature such that said control means opens said valve when said engine substantially reaches said predetermined operating temperature. 
     
     
       16. A two-cycle internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode comprising continuous engine operation in excess of a predetermined time period, said engine comprising an engine block having a substantially horizontal cylinder, a transfer passage formed within said engine block substantially below said horizontal cylinder and communicating with said horizontal cylinder and having a region of maximum vertical displacement from said cylinder forming a low point in said transfer passage, a sump below said transfer passage having an outlet and having an unobstructed inlet above said outlet and communicating with said transfer passage substantially at said low point to provide a free gravity flow path from said transfer passage into said sump, a controrllable valve coupled to said outlet for controlling fluid flow from said smp through said outlet, a fluid conduit coupled between said controllable valve and a preselected location within said engine block for communicating fluid from said valve to said preselected location, and control means for opening said valve when said engine has been in continuous operation in excess of said predetermined time period. 
     
     
       17. A two-cycle internal combustion engine comprising an internal combustion engine adapted to be drivingly connected to a propeller and including an engine block having a substantially horizontal cylinder, a transfer passage formed within said engine block substantially below said horizontal cylinder and communicating with said horizontal cylinder and having a region of maximum vertical displacement from said cylinder forming a low point in said transfer passage, transmission operable to selectively connect said engine to the propeller, a sump below said transfer passage having an outlet and having an unobstructed inlet above said outlet and communicating with said transfer passage substantially at said low point to provide a free gravity flow path from said transfer passage into said sump, a controllable valve couple to said outlet for controlling fluid flow from said sump through said outlet, a fluid conduit coupled between said controllable valve and a preselected location within said engine block for communicating fluid from said valve to said preselected location, and control means for opening said controllable valve in response to engine operation in conjunctin with operation to said transmission to drivingly connect said engine to the propeller. 
     
     
       18. A two-cycle internal combustion engine operable in a predetermined mode, said engine comprising an engine block having first and second substantially horizontal cylinders, first and second transfer passages respectively formed within said engine block substantially below said first and second horizontal cylinders and respectively communicating with said first and second horizontal cylinders and having respective regions of maximum vertical displacement from said first and second cylinders and respectively forming low points in said first and second transfer passages, first and second sumps located below said first and second transfer passages and having respective first and second outlets and respective unobstructed first and second inlets located above said first and second outlets and respectively communicating with said first and second transfer passages substsantially at said first and second low points to provide respective free gravity flow paths from said first and second transfer passages into said first and second sumps, first and second controllable valves respectively coupled to said first and second outlets for respectively controlling fluid flow from said first and second sumps through said first and second outlets, first and second fluid conduits respectively coupled between said first and second controllable valves and respective first and second preselected locations within said engine block for respectively communicating fluid from said valves to said preselected locations, saif first and second predetermind locations for said first and second cylinders respectively comprising the combustion chamber of another cylinder, and first and second control means respectively responsive to engine operation in said predetermined mode for opening said first and second valves when said engine is operating in said predetermined mode.